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Curite Mineral Data

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General Curite Information

Help on Chemical  Formula: Chemical Formula: Pb3+x(H2O)2[(UO2)4+x(OH)3-x]2, x~0.5
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 3,006.49 gm
   Uranium   63.34 %  U    71.85 % UO2
   Hydrogen   0.30 %  H     2.70 % H2O
   Lead      24.12 %  Pb   25.98 % PbO
   Oxygen    12.24 %  O
            ______        ______ 
            100.00 %      100.53 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Pb3.5(H2O)22(UO2)42(OH)2.5
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1921
Help on Locality: Locality: Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named for Pierre Curie (1859-1906) and Marie Curie-Sklodowska (1867 - 1934), French research team of radioactive minerals. Discoverd the element radium.
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Curite Say CURITE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: ICSD 100260
  PDF 14-267
 

Curite Image

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  Curite

Comments: Orangish red curite crystals.
Location: Shinkolobwe mine, Tantara, Shaba, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Curite Crystallography

Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:b:c =0.9654:1:0.6446
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 12.58, b = 13.03, c = 8.4, Z = 2; V = 1,376.91 Den(Calc)= 7.25
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pnam
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 6.23(1), 3.14(0.8), 3.96(0.7),
Help on Forms: Forms:

Mouse
Dbl Clk - Start-Stop Rotation
RMB - Cycle Display Modes
Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize

Keyboard
S - Stereo
I - Indicies
<space> - Start-Stop Rotation
F - Fit to Screen
M - Menu

Help on Above

Forms: ( 1 1 0) ( 1 0 0) ( 1 1 1)

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Physical Properties of Curite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {100} Good, {110} Good
Help on Color: Color: Yellow, Reddish orange, Brownish yellow.
Help on Density: Density: 7.19
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Transparent to Translucent
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.
Help on Habit: Habit: Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.
Help on Habit: Habit: Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.
Help on Habit: Habit: Massive - Fibrous - Distinctly fibrous fine-grained forms.
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 4-5 - Fluorite-Apatite
Help on Luster: Luster: Adamantine
Help on Streak: Streak: orange
 

Optical Properties of Curite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= -0.332 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.321 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1526,KPDmeas= 0.1539,KC= 0.1156
Ncalc = 1.83 - 1.84
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Biaxial (-), a=2.06, b=2.11, g=2.15, bire=0.0900, 2V(Calc)=80, 2V(Meas)=70.
 

Calculated Properties of Curite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.86 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Curite =7.25 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.05
Boson Index = 0.95
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PECurite =2,234.12 barns/electron
U=PECurite x relectron=13102.35 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,367,146.75 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Curite per GRapi unit = 228.98 (PPB)

Curite is Radioactive as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. Greater than 70 Bq / gram.

Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 10 cm box) 6.96 ± 1.74 grams of pure Curite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 696.49 ±174.12 grams of pure Curite .

Estimated Radioactivity from Curite - very strong
Specimen
Size
Weight/Volume
(Sphere)
*
Calculated
Activity
Bequerols
(Bq)
Calculated
Activity
Curies (Ci)
Estimated
Activity
GR(api)
Estimated
Exposure
(mRem**)/hr
If Held in Hand
For One Hour
1000 gm / 6.41 cm 113,373,906 3.06E-03 4,367,146.75 1,435.77
100 gm / 2.98 cm 11,337,391 3.06E-04 436,714.68 143.58
10 gm / 1.38 cm 1,133,739 3.06E-05 43,671.47 14.36
1 gm / 6.41 mm 113,374 3.06E-06 4,367.15 1.44
0.1 gm / 2.98 mm 11,337 3.06E-07 436.71 0.14
0.01 gm / 1.38 mm 1,134 3.06E-08 43.67 0.01
0.001 gm / 0.64 mm 113 3.06E-09 4.37 0.00

Weight of pure Curite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 7.25 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem
 

Curite Classification

Help on  Dana Class: Dana Class: 05.09.03.01 (05)Oxides Containing Uranium and Thorium
  (05.09)with a cation charge of 6+ containing Pb or Bi and some water of hydration or hydroxyl
  (05.09.03)Dana Group
 
05.09.03.01 Curite Pb3x(H2O)2[(UO2)4x(OH)3-x]2,x~0.5 Pnam 2/m 2/m 2/m
Help on  Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 04.GB.55 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate
  04.G - Uranyl Hydroxides
  04.GB -With additional cations (K, Ca, Ba, Pb, etc.); with mainly UO2(O,OH)5 pentagonal polyhedra
 
04.GB.55 Curite Pb3x(H2O)2[(UO2)4x(OH)3-x]2,x~0.5 Pnam 2/m 2/m 2/m
 

Other Curite Information

Help on References: References: NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(AmMin, v 86, p 379) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Curite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - Uranium Minerals
16 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Curite Specimen Label here :

Curite

Pb3+x(H2O)2[(UO2)4+x(OH)3-x]2, x~0.5
Dana No: 05.09.03.01 Strunz No: 04.GB.55
Locality:

 

Notes:

 

 
   
 


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